Amanda Sykora is a Disney travel specialist with a passion for all things Disney. She enjoys spending time with her husband and their 3 boys, and helping others plan perfect park trips through her agency, Pixie and Pirate Destinations.
Because I Stinkin' Love Disney World
Disney Travel Tips from Mouseketrips
Review: A Walk in the Park with Rolly Crump
Disney Dreadful: The Bus Beast
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Entering Disney World, especially for the first time, is like stepping foot in a foreign land. You have not months, not weeks, not even days to learn the geography, the culture, even the language. Next to your park pass, the most important thing to have in lieu of a local guide is park pointers: helpful, topical, practical advice about how to make the most of your temporary residence at Disney World. Amanda Sykora has been visiting Disney World for over thirty years, and as the Pink Ear Pixie, she dispenses practical pointers to enhance your experience and magnify your magic.
Jul 27 Does ice cream really taste better when eaten at Disney World than it does anywhere else (except, maybe, Disneyland)? Would you choose to eat Dole Whip every day, if you could, or just on your annual Disney trip? Heavy questions...
Jun 29 Everybody loves a countdown, unless it's nuclear. Amanda Sykora has come up with some creative activities you can do with your kids to keep them focused on your upcoming Disney trip. I especially like her idea of a link chain. Start yours soon!
Jun 15 Taking a cruise, for some, is a nailbiting experience. If you've never taken one, and if you tell yourself that you'll never take one, Amanda Sykora understands: she thought the same! That is, until she took her first Disney cruise...
May 25 I have some friends who were debating recently whether to take their kids to Disney World (again!) or travel instead to Hawaii. "Aulani", I told them. Aulani, of course, is Disney's new resort in Hawaii, and Amanda Sykora is here to peek inside.
May 11 Picture this: it's hot, it's humid, your stomach is distended with buffet food, you feel like a blockage in the beating heart of Disney World. It doesn't have to be that way! Don't gorge; graze. Amanda Sykora suggests three of the best dine and dashes.
APR 27 Summer's here soon. Time to gas up, grab the kids, and get to Disney World. That is your plan, right? If you're NOT planning a trip to Disney World this summer, Amanda Sykora would like to tell you what you'll be missing.
APR 13 Want to super-size that pixie dust? Attend a Disney special event! Amanda Sykora blurbs Disney's best special events from the current International Flower & Garden Festival at EPCOT to this year's upcoming holiday spectaculars.
APR 6 As she was splurging, my mother would advise me to save my pennies because they add up. Today, I'm a wonderful splurger, a poor saver. Don't listen to me! Listen to Amanda Sykora, whose clever tips will help you amass some Disney pocket change.
MAR 30 You know the mantra: bring a mint when you visit the Mouse. A Disney World vacation does cost quite a bit of money, but once you're there, you can take advantage of quite a few fun activities that cost nothing. Amanda Sykora spills the beans.
MAR 23 Are you a lubber? If so, you're missing out on the maritime magic of a Disney cruise. Each of Disney's three ships, as Amanda Sykora explains, is the equivalent of a floating theme park, with plenty to keep kids busy and parents mellow.
MAR 23 Are you a lubber? If so, you're missing out on the maritime magic of a Disney cruise. Each of Disney's three ships, as Amanda Sykora explains, is the equivalent of a floating theme park, with plenty to keep kids busy and parents mellow.
MAR 16 What frustrates you at Disney World? Crowds? Long lines? High prices? How about not being about to find your family? If you must split up, Amanda Sykora has some great tips on how to get yourselves back together.
MAR 9 Amanda Sykora, the regular author of this column, is taking care of other pink pixie business this week, and so welcome our erstwhile substitute, Roberta Rack-Rate. Trips cost trees. By that I mean trips require lots of paper. In dealing with Disney or with a travel agent, you typically keep track of your... MORE
MAR 2 Walt Disney World offers a wide variety of Resorts, but why should you stay at one of them? The answer is not so simple. As an experienced Disney World traveler, I have stayed both on and off Walt Disney World property throughout the 30-something years since my first visit. But it wasn't until 2002 that I... MORE